The Blue Tigers are heading into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw against Kuwait in their final group-match on Tuesday, while the Cedars edged past Maldives 1-0.
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India will take on Lebanon in the semi-final of the 2023 SAFF Cup at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. This will be the third meeting between these two nations this month, while the last encounter saw India winning 2-0 in the intercontinental Cup final in Odisha on June 18. The Blue Tigers are heading into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw against Kuwait in their final group-match on Tuesday, while the Cedars edged past Maldives 1-0. The victory helped Lebanon to secure top spot in Group B, having pocketed a maximum of nine points from three games, while Igor Stimac’s men finished second in Group A, level on points (7) with Kuwait but separated by the number of goals scored.
At the end of an intense group stage, here’s how the #SAFFChampionship2023 🏆 Semifinal clashes are set-up 🔥⚔️ #IndianFootball ⚽️ #BlueTigers 🐯 pic.twitter.com/s2ofNXGQkG
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) June 29, 2023
India started off their SAFF Cup campaign with back-to-back comprehensive wins against Pakistan (4-0) and Nepal (2-0), but failed to take all three points against Kuwait last time out. The Blue Tigers broke the deadlock through Sunil Chhetri’s fine strike on the stroke of half-time and looked set to secure top spot in Group A, but young central defender Anwar Ali’s 92nd-minute own goal made the score 1-1 and the points were shared. It was the first time Stimac’s men had conceded a goal in nine matches in all competitions. Nevertheless, India have extended their unbeaten run to nine omatches, recording seven wins in the period. Meanwhile, head coach Stimac, defender Sandesh Jhingan and attacker Rahim Ali will miss Saturday’s game because of suspension. Jhingan received two yellow cards in the group phase, while Rahim and Stimac were sent off against Kuwait.
Lebanon, on the other hand, started their campaign with a 2-0 win over Bangladesh, before thrashing Bhutan 4-1, and then secured a narrow win over Maldives last time out. The Cedars got the better of Red Snappers on Tuesday thanks to Hassan Maatouk’s lone goal mid-way through the first half. Having already sealed a last four berth, Lebanon boss Aleksandar Ilic rested few of his regular players. Nevertheless, the Cedars managed to restrict the Sea to zero shots on target in the entire ninety minutes of play. Meanwhile, Lebanon are aiming to reach their first ever in the history of the SAFF championship.
Lebanon probable starting lineup: Ali Sabeh, Mouhammed Ali, Dhaini, Walid Shour, Hasan Srour, Mahdi Zein, Hasan Kourani, Karim Abed Darwiche, Ali Jamal Al Haj, Nader Matar, George Felix Melki, Hassan Maatouk, Alee Samir Tneich, Zein Al Abdine Ghassan Farran, Abdul Razzak Dakramanji, Mohamad Omar Sadek
India probable starting lineup: GS Sandhu, Nikhil Poojary, Pritam Kotal, Anwar Ali, Akash Mishra, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Sunil Chhetri.
Lebanon
| Opponents | Score |
| Maldives | 1-0 (W) |
| Bhutan | 1-4 (W) |
| Bangladesh | 2-0 (W) |
| Lebanon | 2-0 (L) |
| Lebanon | 0-0 (D) |
India
| Opponents | Score |
| Kuwait | 1-1 (D) |
| Nepal | 0-2 (W) |
| Pakistan | 4-0 (W) |
| Lebanon | 2-0 (W) |
| Vanuatu | 0-0 (D) |
| Last 5 match-results | Score |
| India beat Lebanon | 2-0 |
| India draw Lebanon | 0-0 |
| Lebanon beat India | 0-1 |
| India draw Lebanon | 2-2 |
| Lebanon beat India | 4-1 |
The SAFF Cup fixture between Lebanon and India will take place at Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 pm IST.
| Lebanon vs India | Key Details |
| Date | July 1 |
| Venue | Sree Kanteerava Stadium |
| Kickoff time in Lebanon | 5:00 pm |
| Kickoff time in India | 7:30 pm |
The live telecast of the SAFF Cup matches in India will be available on DD Barati channel. Besides, football fans in India can also live stream the game through FanCode.
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